Questions everywhere?
These days, how do you dismiss an ad or a politician, or whoever or whatever pops up and occupies your computer screen, or mailbox, electronic or otherwise? And did that answer in the form of a package or letter or even air waves — coming from a pol or a pool? — ever actually arrive, like all those ads and flyers? Maybe it never will? And surely not written with a quill.
As one friend just reminded me, it all starts with one problem leading into another set of problems. Or, like a volcano boiling and brewing and bubbling over, three different things, into a new set of lava.
Which is it?
And due to such questions that pervade the privvy of our tiny world, we’ll now go to piety, and these days cast our vote, and not for an Oscar. Do we begin to question even, oh Bruce Almighty and Hollywood, or maybe, God and Heaven? OK, we know He is the supreme leader and being. But hey, is God Dead and if so, who replaces Him? The Perfect 10? Just what approval rating would you give Him for His role in overseeing, and some would say allowing, all the warring and defense and unrest (that hey, granted He didn’t have much of a hand in starting) and all the general mayhem across our little globe and what we’re told is a bigger economy, both at home and abroad.
After a mid-stream edit, I will add that a receptionist told me church was in session, but I could still go in. I’d been there enough for (at least) one week, so I said I might bow out before the blessing. She said she wouldn’t tell anyone. I said, in this game of he said and she said, God would know in either case, and bestow a bevy of bounty. Or would He? As the pastor delved into the whole idea of divorce in the sermon, but he never really answered the question of where The Church would stand on its allowance? Or even of where would Jesus, as per the Gospel? As the preacher is God’s representative on earth? So I’d give them all a “fair” at best rating — or a 3 of 10, maybe 2?
Hey, with election day just passed, let’s raise it to at least a 4! For all our leaders, in this time of historic lows.
So, some offbeat commentary follows on how it’s harder, even in our privileged area, to negotiate the world! First, there is that construction that is slowing traffic on Interstate 94 to mostly one stop-and-go lane throughout the entire city of Hudson through basically the whole summer and until mid-October, we’re told, and thusly meaning you’ll at times literally see a line consisting of two ULine trucks, to pick one semi brand, following each other through the maze — and one wonders if the state DOT, though they’re not in direct control, as is not the city — has gotten complaints about the slow-down? Or the shoulders being narrowed on the bridge to about three feet. Haha, want that secretary job? It’s on his shoulders.
Going out to Minnesota today it wasn’t as bad as it’s been, and in that land of construction, it appeared to be one lane again as one hit 694 and saw the Tenth Street North overpass. Coming back to Hudson, I saw the lanes un-converge to form a diamond about three lanes wide at its apex, then return closer to one another. Isn’t there a better system?
Also, as far as transport, more people are reporting that things don’t arrive at their doorsteps, putting other people out, and though, again not directly related, there are about triple the number of people I have seen going online asking for aid, and if you help there is a PayPal fee, though small, that you don’t see right away as “billed,” and you might not notice that it’s part of a donation “pool,” and this showcases the need. Whew!
There are supply shortages all around, such as me only getting some needed medication of mine in stock on-time for my Tourette’s about nine months of the year, that’s about three-fourths of the time that it passes, like a law. (How would you like that for your insulin?) That factors in that there is not always the accurate form of a generic that suits my anxiety best. So I write about elections! Who can fix the flow?
I saw another “sign” — on the back of a four-foot-wide-construction marker in the heart of the city, which is in the heart of the county and has an Associated Press reporting number for my call-in of 50056, in the given AP “area” code, on election day — and it was in the form of a two-foot-high question mark written in ink, (or was it paint?) On the back of again, a road work sign. In addition, I saw two other smaller such punctuation ones on a smaller sign? OK, don’t need that question mark there.
But we still question.
So …
Now you’ll see the marks given to some regional politicians. (These are new election figures, some of them listed here first, by HudsonWiNightlife. But I’ll make you wade through the other stuff first.) So, now you’ll read about the (some would say upset) recent state primary win by Gov. candidate David Crowley, (in St. Croix County 3,312 votes which was 91 less than that of Francesca Hong.) It is being said to, for another time now, shake up the degree of left-leaning in the Democratic party, in particular in our state. And by, yes, a black man defeating … never mind.
In our county, the rest of the vote played out this way:
The last name of Nate Pollnow was certainly applicable to the running for, and of this or any election, via the vote on Aug. 11, with 2,964 votes garnered to place second for GOP secretary of state.
But notable in this low-turn, turnout-voter-cycle in the county was governor, GOP “red” man Tom Tiffany as the only one over ten thousand votes, by four, and vying for running mate in red were David Varnam with 4,764 and also as a potential lieutenant governor were Will Martin with 4,744. The 15 write-ins could have almost made up the difference, so sing the blues. The GOP didn’t spend much for the race, in flyers, in the county, as lots of out-of-state money came flowing in.
Keeping it county, and keeping it running red, for GOP secretary of state, came Jay Schoeder with 4,193 — we covered Nate Pollnow — then Cindy Werner (1,297), and Brayden Myer (1,054).
In GOP, Representative for Congress, Dist. 7, Michael Alfonso had a whopping 5,369, then Kevin Hermening, (who we profiled earlier), 2,139, Jessi Ebben, (also covered), 1,825, Don Raihala, and Niina (double eye) Baum, 363.
Democrat governor hopefuls, after Hong and Crowley, were blue by dropping into the hundreds, Keida Roys (799), Sara Rodriguez, (586), way back Mandela Barnes, (481), Joe Brennan, (419), and bare scratching double digits, Missy Hughes, (101), with only one write-in.
Dems for rep in District 7, more evenly distributed, are Chris Armstrong, (3,290), Ginger Murray (2,637), and Fred Clark, (2,460).
Amongst other parties, each with two votes were Con Gov, Lib Gov, Lib state treasurer, Lib Rep. Seven, Lib Rep Ass(embly) Dist. 28 as we won’t go there, and one each, Lib clerk of circuit court, WGR sec of state and WGR clerk of circuit court, WGR Ass(em) 28, LIB Ass(em) Dist. 30, LIB sheriff, LIB clerk of circuit court and WGN sec of state.
Also notable were GOP for sheriff, 31 write-ins.